AFL 2022: Ben Rutten still believes Jake Stringer, Zach Merrett can still get up for Anzac Day clash

Essendon pair Jake Stringer and Zach Merrett remain legitimate chances to play on Anzac Day, according to coach Ben Rutten, after both took part in a match play training session.

Mick Malthouse will return to Collingwood to help the players mentally prepare for the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon.

Essendon coach Ben Rutten is adamant two of his most important players, Jake Stringer and Zach Merrett, are legitimate chances to play against Collingwood on Anzac Day.

The under siege coach rated their chances better than 50 per cent after the pair were surprise inclusions in the Bombers squad on Thursday night.

Stringer is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in Round 3 — he also missed the opening round because of a groin issue — while Merrett suffered a syndesmosis injury four weeks ago.

Both took part in the Bombers Saturday morning match play session although Stringer was less convincing, not moving out of the forward 50 and then leaving the hitout early to talk at length with fitness staff.

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Essendon is hopeful Zach Merrett can get up for the Anzac Day clash despite suffering a serious ankle injury just four weeks ago. Picture: Michael Klein

“They are a realistic chance to play, and we can’t bring them into the squad late, but we can take them out,” Rutten said.

“They have to get through training today, then we’ll see how they pull up and we’ll make a decision but they are certainly really close.”

Rutten said the Bombers were “surprised” how quickly Merrett had recovered from what is usually a six-week injury.

Essendon’s season is on the line against the Pies after having won just one of five matches and coming off a horrible 48-point loss to Fremantle.

It has been a searching week for Rutten who delivered a brutally honest assessment to his players who are rated the worst defensive team in the competition, conceding 97 points per game this season.

Several senior players, including Dylan Shiel and Darcy Parish, were highlighted for their below-par efforts.

“There’s a lot of players who, on reflection, if they had their time again, they’d like to do some things a bit differently,” Rutten said. “Our guys aren’t shying away from it.”

He said the Bombers needed to get back to the Essendon “brand” which they’d built up over the past 18 months.

Essendon fans will be looking to Darcy Parish (right) and Dylan Shiel for a huge lift against Collingwood. Picture: AFL Photos via Getty Images

“The last 18 months we have started to build some really consistent performances about our effort and how we go about things,” Rutten said.

“Clearly on the weekend that wasn’t an example of that. That was what was really disappointing for us and I know it was really disappointing for our fans, particularly that second half wasn’t what we stand for.

“We don’t pretend that we are never going to make mistakes or be perfect, it’s just what we do about that.

“I think having a clear and honest review, getting back to work on the track and playing an Essendon brand of footy, that is what we are after.”

Malthouse drives home Anzac Day significance to Pies

Former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has returned to the club to provide an Anzac Day history lesson, imploring players not to “let the day down” next Monday and stand “side-by-side” with their teammates.

Malthouse was invited by new senior coach Craig McRae to speak to the Magpies playing group about the importance of Anzac Day and spent more than 20 minutes with the group on Thursday afternoon.

Malthouse said he was “an observer” to the world wars and did not have any “medals on my chest” but still derived great wisdom and inspiration from the spirit of the Anzacs.

Malthouse with Nick Maxwell after winning the 2010 Anzac Day Cup against Essendon.

“The reason why I loved Anzac Day is it’s more about the spirit of Anzac Day,” Malthouse told Collingwood players.

“It’s what it represents and by and large what Collingwood stand for – side-by-side – is technically exactly what the spirit of Anzac is all about. Because there’s heroics and there’s singular heroics.

“You’re not fighting in a war, but you should know how much your teammates need you. It’s all about team.”

Malthouse, 68, pointed to the example of Tony Lockett, who kicked 1360 goals for St Kilda and Sydney, but never won a premiership.

“Lockett was one of the best key forwards,” he said.

“He never won a premiership because he couldn’t get enough players around him to actually contribute as well.

Mick Malthouse took new recruits to the Shrine in 2010 learn about the Anzac legend.

“In this game here you need your mates. You cannot do it by yourself and they need you.”

Malthouse said the Anzac Day clash against Essendon was a “big stage, you can’t hide”, adding that players should be “so blessed to be able to play in it”.

“The fundamental thing about Anzac Day is this: that you can walk off the ground knowing that you haven’t let the day down,” he said.

“It’s one of the greatest moments of a coach and a player that you will ever have. I’m so envious.”

What brought Mick back to Pies’ inner sanctum

Mick Malthouse will return to Collingwood on Thursday to help steel its players for Monday’s Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon after accepting an invitation from new coach Craig McRae.

The coaching legend told the Herald Sun on Wednesday night he was “honoured” to be asked back more than a decade after his last game at the helm.

Malthouse wouldn’t divulge which stories he would share and had not planned on advertising the surprise appearance.

Mick Malthouse will return to Collingwood to help the players mentally prepare for the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon. Picture: Mark Stewart

But McRae – who Malthouse employed as a development coach at Collingwood in 2011 – was happy to reveal that he had asked Malthouse back in what shapes as a heartwarming reunion between the Magpies and their last premiership coach.

McRae was left wanting more from Malthouse, a three-time premiership coach and veteran of a record 718 games, after they caught up last month.

“I texted him later saying, ‘You wouldn’t mind talking to the group, would you’?” McRae said on SEN.

“He’s got so many stories to tell, and I’m interested to see which one he’s going to share.

“Just the significance of (Anzac) Day … not only for football, but for our country and we join the dots then about how we respect that.”

Craig McRae was employed by Malthouse as a development coach in 2011, and has asked his former mentor to come back. Picture: Getty Images.

The Magpies are 2-3 but industry experts believe that form-line is misleading given they blew leads against Geelong (37 points) and, with an inexperienced forward line, West Coast (13 points) before pushing Brisbane Lions at the Gabba last Thursday night.

Captain Scott Pendlebury declared McRae’s high-pressure gamestyle was built for big finals and warned not to underestimate the damage they could inflict should they get rolling.

They finished 17th last year but Pendelbury warned ladder predictions were rarely proved right.

Malthouse will reunite with Scott Pendlebury when he returns to Collingwood.

He pointed to the Pies’ jump from the bottom four in 2017 to the 2018 Grand Final and Melbourne’s shock rise from outside the top eight to last year’s flag.

“I think what we’re putting out is a strong brand of football that will stack up in big games,” Pendlebury, a three-time Anzac Day medallist, said.

“We’re tackling really well, we’re getting after sides (and) we’re playing some front half football.

“So the brand stacks up, we’ve just got to do it for longer.”

Originally published as AFL 2022: Ben Rutten still believes Jake Stringer, Zach Merrett can still get up for Anzac Day clash